Messages

1

Except for the Pig / Re: Small Animal News

« on: November 09, 2016, 08:15:44 pm »

I've been getting questions about this all last night and even this morning.  Honestly, there's not much I can say.  Truth is, small animals just don't care about it much at all. 

There are times of internal conflict, like the disruptions caused by Yue-bing or the rivalry between the more organized bunny brigade and the somewhat nebulous, shadowy organization known as the black bunny squad.  But when it comes down to it, both these organizations exist to fight predators, like the local neighborhood cat gang.  And with those cats pretty much beaten into submission, the demise of cat P and the ensuing power struggle to fill that vacuum, things have gone pretty quiet on that front.

So to summarize, first to understand is that small animals really only organize like that when their survival is threatened, and most of the conversations are about very mundane things like food, water, or inter-relational / inter-personal things.

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1) I don't doubt what the rumors say.  But the truth is, no one cares too much.  It doesn't have much effect on anything at all.  To me, it's just [other], not-normal, outside-norms.  Society's problem, and what do I care about society?  2) In the end, they quit b'cos they have a brain.  Anyone can see that there's really no future there.  Maybe a future for 2 or 3 [human] years.  Maybe the [organization] can continue for 4 or 5 years.  But sooner or later, it ends, and is a waste.  3) I'm not saying it's a total loss for everyone.  Some still have a future, they will adapt, they will find a way to survive.  But many don't.  Especially those on the front lines.  They'll be relegated to menial jobs, no future, no hope, no prospects.  4) Someone who sees that now, and acts now, has wisdom, at least.  Many don't. 

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People have to realize some of the macro going on.  That phenomenon came and went many years ago.  Today, that gang is a zombie, still walking around but slowly dying off, whether to simple attrition, defections, etc.  Those that are left are the "dead-enders", they have nowhere else to go, they've isolated and made enemies out of anyone who cared for them, they can't go back to their original lives, the only life they have left is the dying gang.  So they do their best to reverse the reality on the ground, by any means necessary.  These actions, desperate, poorly planned, not well supported, they rarely last long and only serve to quicken the demise of what is left. 

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Perhaps "smoke and mirrors", or perhaps they're really that stupid.  Either way, the result should be the same -- no one should want anything to do with these guys.  I've never heard of a more inane excuse, it's something a bunch of infants would come up with. 

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It's not something I pay attention to, so I can't say much.  They try to stand out, hog the spotlight, grasping at the illusion of power, they fight among themselves; despite that word, it's nothing.  Just running around in circles, going no-where.

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While it might seem like there's a high degree of nepotism, I'd say this is just a continuation of their new policy.  Look at the last two moves by that group, and the reason they choose this bunny over that bunny should be obvious.  It's more strategic decisions than outright nepotism.  And strategy wise, I think it's a solid strategy, in the scheme of things.

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Under Cat P, the neighborhood cat gang had tried to co-opt a smallish group to the south.  But these attempts ultimately failed, and with Cat P gone, the new cats in charge all but surrendered the southern front, which had been a constant drain on the garrison. 

There are rumors of some kind of activity to the south of the gang, however anything that is going on is unlikely to pose a threat in the short term.  Whether the strategy of abandoning the southern front is a good one in the long term remains to be seen.

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No information.  One week, but there's no regular brigade patrols in that area to begin with.

Unfortunately that is deep within neighborhood cat gang territory.  Not safe, especially at night.  Likely perished at the paws of Cat C and his minions.  Even with Cat P's departure, the gang still has plenty of those.

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Actually, she survived and was just fine.  The story goes that her device had died (battery failure) and she was hanging out at her hutch for the week eating, drinking, and hopping around. 

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What people often overlook is that those bunnies are good at stirring things up.  Despite seeming like they are against each other, they depend on each other to stay a factor.  Because without that rivalry, without that conflict, they're no longer relevant.  So, when things like this happen, both rivals win, and the losers are the other bunnies in that scene who lost a bit of relevance.

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I've seen a lot but I'll say this much.  It was an absolute disaster but any small animal with even half a brain could have seen that one coming (triple witching day or whatever you want to call it).  It was just a matter whether it was going to be a slow motion train wreck or a stampede.  I don't know how effective it is b'cos the cats have a PR guy who loves to spin, but the things they wouldn't lie about likely mean many carrots left to rot[1]. 

Truth is the cats are spread thin, and their war chest is not going to last forever.  The best they can do with the numbers they have is to set up a picket formation, but that means risking their limited numbers when they are overrun.  So we've seen this before, they might send a few expendables out but the choice they make is to pull back and defend only, while spouting PR to try to keep morale high and counter tactics that are very expensive.

One odd tactic that I've never seen before is the cats bribing the attackers to go away.  If true, this is likely to be an ineffective one as it only attracts more attackers in the long run, and what happens once the treasury runs out and they can no longer bribe their enemies.  At best, it's a desperation tactic to buy some time. 

[1] A bunny expression for "lots of resources gone to waste"

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1) We'll, from a technical, or artistic point of view, positively awful.  Only worth it for one reason, which should be obvious.

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You may not choose or have control over everything that happens to you, but you always have a choice of how you respond to it.
Don't let it get to your head, live every day like it is the last.

Animals do have a pecking order, but it is a given that it can change at any time.  It's not a matter of progress, but a matter of the most able coming out on top, and the weak being relegated.  A pack that does not live like that will fall.

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The problem is one of focus.  There's enough there for maybe 5 minutes of discussion, debate, and arguments.  But that's really it.  Low value, low priority, the quickest way to lose is to move it to the top (in importance). 

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The cats have little choice in the matter, they are out of funds, and barely break even on budget, so they can't bring on any more animals.  They have no more loyalists, any cat who works for the gang demands two to three times the going rate, even the grunts.  The incident of five [cat] years ago really hit them hard, it pushed them from being slightly profitable to terminally not so.

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From the outside looking in, it might seem like some of the animals in the bunny brigade are absolutely useless.  But that is rarely the case.  Those animals have been shown to be useful in the past, otherwise they wouldn't be part of the brigade to begin with.  While it has grown somewhat, the core of the brigade isn't huge, around 200 small animals.  Beyond this you have support, and affiliates. 

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There is nothing to say, nothing meaningful at least.  A lot of people will ramble on without seeing the big picture.  There are two basic ways to think of something, like, or dislike; and then there is ultimate indifference. 

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As I am told here is the situation.  One of the bunnies at a local "bunny cafe" became ill with this flu that is going around and so they asked that she stand in for her as a substitute.  So she gets to sing and dance with the other bunnies as part of their event, as well as meet some of the other important bunnies like Bunny Y and so on.  I don't know about dancing but once they realize how good she is at singing they'll probably want to make her a full member of the bunny cafe too. 

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A short recap of what happened.  Originally the two bunnies were together, basically due to their mutual admiration of each other.  They lived a few states apart, but they got to see each other enough and otherwise interact online to keep the relationship going.  At one point she took a long vacation, for around 12 [bunny] weeks where he lived.  Near the end of this vacation, he proposed to her, that they could both get their own place and become engaged.  But she had her own plans, she wanted to go farther west because that was what she dreamed of.

She would have just preferred the relationship stayed the same way it was, so she turned him down.  Left rather depressed, like the thing had been a total loss because they were at odds with what to do next.  At the end of her vacation, she visited another bunny J, who she was friends with, and at least enjoyed that.

Not too long after, she headed west.  Bunny S and her stayed friends, but they weren't really together anymore.  Eventually, bunny J ended up with bunny S (how this happened is another story) and things got very awkward, she broke contact with the two of the them.

Time passed, around 18 bunny years.  So current time, that's how it got to where it is now.

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Where are they now?  They're still there, as far as I know, but haven't been a factor.  At least, not as far as I know.

The constantly shifting propaganda of the cats, the lack of numbers, about the only thing that keeps them alive is that with so few cats left, there's more than enough funds to go around and keep most of those that remain happy.  But with these numbers, they can't really recover, they are losing territory day by day because none of the cats will stand up and fight in any skirmishes.  While those on their borders continue to amass their forces.  Their remaining territory is impoverished and already sucked dry of resources, and they can't really move as they are boxed in.

Biding their time, and time isn't on their side.

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It's hard to say, sure it's like that.  But I think this is just evolution. 

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Yes, 15,000 last I checked?  But numbers are just numbers, what really matters isn't a number but how far people are willing to go... this is why the brigade is so strong, despite having only (roughly) 200 in number.

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I would have to say no, because I think it would be a little more obvious if they were.
None of the signs are there. 

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It's a mystery, but I honestly think it's pretty obvious.  Most of the evidence points to (1).  There are some other possibilities, but nothing that makes a whole lot of sense.
1) She's pregnant and the father is her ex.
2) One of her ferrets is sick.
3) Taking a month off from work for "mental health".
4) Something voice related?

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Let me say this about that dog.  In small animal circles, he's earned the moniker "mad dog" for a reason.  He's loyal to a fault, and it's not uncommon to have him get in front of other dogs and stare or bark ferociously, trying to scare them off.  And there's been multiple instances where he lunged at other dogs, nipped at them, one more serious incident around 20 cat years ago where he actually bit another dog repeatedly and some owners had to intervene to separate the two. 

While I personally may not agree with most of his philosophy or quite often what he says (in many ways he's just a "bigger bully") he's definately a step up from the dog that came before him.  I know brigade intelligence missed some of the critical facts when it comes to this affair; what she said, even those in the famed "rat squad" where struck with surprise when the facts actually came out.  And few actually doubt her story, frankly it explains a lot as well as the company's relative silence when it came to this affair in the past.

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1) They went under for a while, then resurfaced about 6 (cat) months ago.  I don't know how much of a factor it will be, but I don't doubt the founder is still in charge so that has to at least count for something.  No idea how many cats they have behind them.

2) Details are kinda sketchy, read the news, that's the best source out there right now. 

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1) I don't know what happen.  Though I probably wouldn't have noticed it if it was.  I really don't pay much attention to that stuff.

2) The cat who is poking around, yes his reputation proceeds him, and he deserves that reputation. 

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I don't know the details, but the brigade does have many installations in the area.  But no, it seems unlikely she is part of it, or will be part of it.  It's just not suited to her right now.  Maybe in a few years?

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Yes but I've said this repeatedly.  Many different levels.  People often brag, but companies are pretty smart in the end.

Product is often cheap, especially promotional items like clothing or such.  Except at the highest levels, that's all that most get.

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Yes.  You have to understand how the neighborhood cat gang works, like most cats they are highly territorial and nothing (information, etc.) does not flow freely.  Think of a big, dysfunctional family where everyone is constantly at each other's throats.  The hierarchy has many levels, and the higher up you go, the more control freakish, combative, and defensive they are.  Because at that level, unless you are willing to constantly defend your position, someone else has already taken it from you.

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No, it doesn't really work that way.  Right or wrong, it doesn't really matter.  You can be the rightest person in the world, but if you are isolated; if whatever faction or group you can piece together is isolated; then you can't compete with everyone else. 

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Not at all disputed, you can watch his video about his status online.  What happened was, especially in its later years (starting roughly 56 cat years ago) both sides were heavily dependent on mercenaries to do not just their "dirty work", but fighting in general.  There were basically two sides, each supported by an "umbrella" of mercenary groups, but the main conflicts were being fought by his group (GRS/GR) and their arch nemesis (W).  But around one cat month ago, he came down a serious health problem and could no longer lead his group because of it.  So his group fell apart at this point, people pretty much off and doing their own thing, turning to other, more profitable conflicts and so on.  At the end of the day, no one was left for (W) to fight, so now the loyalist side is pretty much back in control. 

2

Except for the Pig / Re: Small Animal News

« on: January 29, 2016, 04:28:19 am »

Scouts from the bunny brigade reported multiple sightings of snake E entering the building around 7pm.  The brigade is in the process of notifying the Pandas and operations will begin shortly. 

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Multiple sightings of snake E during the last two nights.  Scouts who were able to follow report that he was prowling around as if he was looking for someone or something.  Has evaded capture so far, all bunnies should travel in groups.  The brigade is treating the snake as a target of opportunity, if you see him, please contact the brigade and, if possible, track him from a safe distance while waiting for a team to show up.

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According to accounts, the panda was jumped by a gang of several bunnies from the black bunny squad.  As one of the bunnies turned to kick him, he bared his claws, sending all but the one bunny fleeing in fear.  Though brave, the bunny's attempt to fight him was futile.  He pounced on the bunny and then sat down on him, crushing him under his weight. 

What actually happened?  Apparently, he was mistaken for Cat Y and attacked on the spot without a second thought.  Whichever bunny was calling the shots that night must have been awfully near sighted.

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Please do not worry.  It's not like our Pandas would attempt such an operation without a backup plan in place.  I can assure you that everything will be fine in the end.

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Even a slight bit of research will lead to the truth, it is not very hard to find.  But, I would stop at the information, beyond that, I must warn, you might not like what you find.  So my advice, just leave it at that.  This should be enough to explain recent events, at least.

I will say this, I have far more respect for someone who does not want to be the poster child of the revolution than someone who does. 

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Sure, it is pretty simple.  There are a few rules in place (for reasons), but they are easily followed for those who care to.  And for those who don't, go ahead, but don't blame me if you get jumped on by a hungry pomeranian or something like that.

Those who wish to use trademarked text, logos, designs, images, etc. must download and send in a signed copy (electronic signature is fine) of the Revocable Open Licensing Agreement.

For fanart that is sold at an event, we ask that you either tweet a graphical image of it with the official hashtag #bunnybrigade, or post it to the facebook group.  It doesn't have to be full resolution, we're not trying to steal your stuff, we just want to know what is out there.

For items produced in small quantities, handmade items, one-offs, trinkets, buttons, pouches, bags, wallets, mousepads, etc., take a photo and tweet it as above, or post to the facebook group.

If the above merchendise is mass produced, please also send a single copy of each item to Chester's PO box.

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So far, there is no actual evidence to indicate that any kind of incident actually happened.  The brigade deals with enough real threats, they aren't going to send bunnies to investigate imaginary ones. 

Follow standard protocol(s), don't panic, and stay safe. 

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I know the presses have been abuzz with this, but there really isn't much to report.  Cat P hadn't been sighted in the past few weeks, and there were rumors his owner moved out of the city, taking his fat cat with him.  Normally purges would follow such an event, but there really aren't many followers left to purge.

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Please do not worry.  I know this is heavy stuff, but the brigade has the best commanders and they are used to these kinds of things.  The situation has not reached anywhere near serious or critical yet. 

If it does, I can assure you that the brigade will intervene.  But right now, it is important to give our agent time to do her job.  This is why the brigade has independent agents; resources are limited, they are not an endless well.

There may be strength in numbers, but sometimes, one must pursue the path alone. 

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There is little doubt, but these are not the types of things the brigade concerns itself with.  At best, he is a class C.  Threats are rated based on their level, not their pervasiveness.

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Since the departure of Cat P, extreme paranoia has taken over within the gang.  This new administration, the purges of today, soon the cats within the gang will long for the 'good ol' days' under the incompetent Cat P, or the wasteful Cat L. 

From Mr. Sparkles - "The cats are gathering information on each other -- hiring private investigators, awarding squealers with cash payouts, etc.  They're even researching past cats that have either perished or left the gang, so that they can suspect and purge those who served under them if any dirt is found."

From Ling Ling - "Even Cat P, with his one-dimensional thinking, at least understood that cats are cats, and that every cat is guilty of something.  But these new cats, whoever they are, whatever they are up to, they seem out to purge anyone based on anything.  Cat P at least had the sense to keep around that Cats with skills that were necessary for the gang to function, but Cat C and his ilk have already shown their willingness to sabotage themselves into something that can no longer functional, at all."

From Samantha - "It makes me wonder, is this what Cat C was aiming for all along?  The brigade can relax now, no need to do anything about a general who is tearing apart the gang from the inside.  In the long run, the only decision to make is to let the cats continue to eat their own, or to assist in their demise!"

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In truth, we're not entirely sure.  The brigade has been shifting most of their small animals from fact-finding to paranoia operations.  This means that we're not entirely sure which cat is actually in charge at any given moment, nor what is going on within the gang.

These operations are having an effect, anyone can see that simply by observing the cats in the gang, and some of the other organizations it deals with.

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It's uncertain.  There's no known evidence that points to it, but the cats would be expected to keep it under wraps anyways.  It does seem likely, from the timing alone.

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Actually there were parts that I just couldn't not laugh, people with ideas and those ideas are anything but.  Sometimes, people have absolutely no idea what they are talking about, but they just keep talking.  If you take it too seriously, it makes a sense of bewilderment, so you just can't help but to laugh at them.

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The only reason they survive is b'cos they are willing to throw money at it.  Exclusiveness can't exist in a healthy environment (for long), but this isn't a healthy environment to begin with.

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There multiple reports that Cat P has been sighted in Texas.  If true, this points to the original theory that his owner moved away, taking the fat cat with him.

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Actually, it's not at risk at all.  From the number of people that are asking this question, I'm not sure people understand the situation.

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If I were there, I'd probably have made the same decision too.  But I'm not. 

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It does not matter, b'cos that environment is always changing.  The facts on the ground, the belief in a theory, however true it may be, all these things are mere contrivances.  Unless it can be reduced to practice, and practiced effectively, one cannot hope for (better) change in the world.  Misfortune comes easily, but good fortune, it is much harder to bring about.

Belief that leads to mere frustration becomes a crutch rather than a boon.  Spouting off about this or that, running in circles rather than spiraling (iterating) toward some better goal, it is this inanity that seperates the rest of the world from the brigade.  For while these things may be popular among some in the rest of world, the brigade does not tolerate them, or think highly of those who practice them.

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That is unproven, and unlikely.  While many within the brigade would be pleased with this outcome, it neither fits his profile, nor is there any actual evidence of this type of communication.

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B'cos most of these are software hacks, so they may be detectable by software.  A true hardware hack is a bit more involved, but it would be undetectable, or at least nearly so, if done properly.  When it comes down to it, a GPS module is a UART that sends NMEA data, at least most of them are.  There are a variety of messages sent out, but the position one typically looks like:

$GPGGA,123519,4807.038,N,01131.000,E,1,08,0.9,545.4,M,46.9,M,,*47

$GPGGA is the header telling you it is a position, the number right after that is the time, and then the latitude, the latitude direction, the longitude, longitude direction, then an index to the fix quality, and so on.  This is defined in the NMEA specification, a good link is:

http://www.gpsinformation.org/dale/nmea.htm

Most of these modules use a lower baud rate like 9600.  So there's no reason you can't pass it through an arduino (or something simple like that) and back to the micro where it was originally going.  The time is only to the nearest second, so you likely won't have to change that at all. 

The hard part would be actually doing the hardware hack, depending on the type of part, and how they are laid out, you'd have to cut a trace, lift a pin, and run some wires to/from the arduino.  If you are dealing with a BGA part and a trace that's not accessible, it might have to be removed altogether.  But the good news is, it's really not very hard to mate up a GPS module with an arduino, there are premade setups already out there by adafruit, sparkfun, or others.  So if you have to remove the GPS module IC altogether, you can replace it with your own GPS and only have to run one wire plus another for GND. 

Then you just have to write the software to intercept the GPS location messages and change them.  As long as you are subtle about it, the software has no way of knowing something is up.  You will want to turn off some of the other location data like wifi, cellular, and so on.  Most of this positioning isn't too accurate so you might be able to leave it on if you are only making small changes to the GPS fix.

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There is nothing there, this is part of the cycle and it leads nowhere.  I say that b'cos I've seen the same thing happen in many other (similar) activities, there is a scale here but it leads nowhere in the end. 

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While the brigade has received several inquiries in this respect, there is no such policy.  Nor will there ever be.  The goal of [the market] has always been free and open exchange of goods and services between all small animals.  With respect to that, it isn't the job of the brigade to interfere or control anything, beyond promoting that. 

"Cats can threaten and snakes can hiss, but the rule of nature is unchanged" - old quote from Tuan Tuan.

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No.  We'll, if you base it on perception, the answer is sometimes.  But if you base it on reality, the answer is no. 
The absence of one thing does not create another thing.  To say so is to fall in the trap of one-dimensional thinking. 
In reality, there are actual opposites (ie. darkness defined as being the absence of light) and there are contrived opposites. 
Consider, for instance, what is rich and what is poor?  Those bound by money will be rich, poor, or somewhere in between.  But what of those who simply don't understand the concept of money?  Though rare, it is possible, even in the modern age.  They have 'fallen off' the line, they are not part of it at all.
Do not fall to contrivance, see things how they are, not how they are seen.

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While it will happen in time, I don't think it will happen the same way.
The main difference is support.  Monetary support. 
The [organization] funds those [groups], paying approximately [10,000 carrots] per month.  On average, the best [groups] can match that, with another [10,000 carrots] per bunny.  But that's only the best, the majority of [groups] can barely pay the rent, much less pay their bunnies more than a mere pittance. 
Now think of [10,000 a month]; that's an awful lot of carrots!
That's why the [organization] has a firm grip on most [groups].  Without funding from the [organization], most [groups] wouldn't be able to pay their bunnies enough to make them stick around.  So the reality; most [groups] aren't independent, they are subsidiaries of the [organization].  They couldn't rebel, even if they wanted to.

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I'll say two things.  First, they were more interested in exposition than action.  People coming up with rules and policies when there was little actually happening in the first place.  Second, there just wasn't anything there as far as currency.  And it wasn't sizeable enough to make it happen without.

3

Except for the Pig / Re: Small Animal News

« on: October 15, 2015, 08:53:11 am »

Yes.  Since May.  He was classified as a Class C back then, now he is a Class B.  For distant threats, it is 'track only', the bunny brigade leaves the handling of snakes like that one to local groups.

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No idea.  The bunny brigade is efficient by necessity.  Remember, a snake can kill a bunny in a second, while 4 bunnies might be able to kill a snake in 10 seconds, and only if they cooperate well.  Nature is asymetric, so the tactics are, out of necessity if nothing else.

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By all indications, yes, it was a front for the neighborhood cat gang.  But even the cats involved, they didn't want to be associated with the gang once it was outed.  So they all jumped ship at once, leaving the poor kitty that Cat P had appointed to take a fall. 

"Death came quickly, and the [bamboo tower] came down shortly after.  Nothing remained, and the whole affair was quickly forgotten.  Cat P disavowed the whole thing, a few cats perished, and several others left the gang.  But what's that to them?" - from Ling Ling, a Panda informant, to Chelsea, of the Bunny Brigade.

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I don't know much, there is plenty of information there, but most of it contradicts itself in one way or another.

My intuition says that their front is messed up, ie. someone took the funds and ran, they know who did it and they are trying to get the funds back.  But there's nothing in the bank now, and nothing is certain.  My rationale is this:  They would have fixed the problem if they could have, the only way the explain this is that they can't fix the problem right now, but believe they will be able to in the future.  But being uncertain of this (being able to fix it), it's 'cover your ass' time and no one wants to seem at fault.  So, no one is talking, b'cos right now, no one would like the answer.  Sounds like cats, but I don't know, the top level was always kinda suspicious.

If you want sinister, perhaps their supporter was a double like snake E.  He planned to use it to bring him more victims, but when his plans fell apart, he pulled his support along with the funds that he had promised.  So, they were left with no way to keep the promises they made. 

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Good, few problems, pretty much exactly how something of that size should work.  A lot more than I can say for other (similar) things.

While I wasn't able to talk with all those who I wanted to, I talked to a sufficient number of people throughout the day, so I am satisfied with that.

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Not much new information, honestly, I haven't spent much time on this.  They run a pretty tight ship but it will start to leak sooner or later.  Reports indicate that some have already jumped, and are already talking to others in secret.  Whatever secret they are trying to hide must be pretty big, and it's not like this whole thing is going to go away anytime soon.

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I talked to Ling Ling today and this is what she said (paraphrased).  The captain (cat Y) abandoned ship several days ago, in the dark of night.  He left his crew behind, and that ship is sinking fast. 

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Yes, though I do not know the reliability of the source, he likely is who he says he is.  The fact that he removed his message a few hours after posting it probably means he had second thoughts about posting the information; of course by then, it was already too late.

The points he discussed include:
1) By the end, it was obvious the cats owed more funds than they could afford to pay out.
2) They could not afford to pay their own core cats, much less the mercenaries they had retained and the other cats they owed funds too.  They paid out as much as they could, but they ran out of funds.
3) Some of the mercenaries simply started to take funds straight from the core cats.
4) Regardless, the mercenaries are still owed funds equivalent to roughly 200,000 carrots (or more) and they are kinda pissed off about it.

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The thing is, few cats are left who know much, and those who are left aren't talking.  There are whispers of secret messages from Cat Y, presumably in hiding as he has not been seen since.  Presumably, it is a dire situation, and one that will only get worse.

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To the person who asked that question, first, I think you're a bit confused.  Any relation to one of our bunnies is purely coincidental.  Overloading or such.

Nor should it be forgotten, that one of the mottoes of the brigade is (translated) "if I should die, let it be decided in battle".  Like many sayings, there is a double meaning here.

Our bunnies would never do that type of thing, at least not while they are part of the brigade, much less a HVA.

As for the topic at hand, no, my guess would be no relation.  Now this has been a while, long ago, around 36 (cat) years ago.  I did jobs with Panda A once or twice, he seemed like a good guy, and he always treated my friends well.  So I'll take his word over the rest of them. 

While information is sketchy, I'd guess that it's not related to that at all.  I was only clued onto this by one off-hand remark that led to my investigation.  Yes, they had a presence with the movement, but that's about it.  That is beside the point.  Despite all that grandstanding, the more obvious reason shouldn't be ignored.

Nor do I take the predominant western view when it comes to that topic.  It can be an escape, or not.  It can be honorable, or not.  Generally we despise it, but, it doesn't have to be that way.  It really depends on the person.  Remember the story of Setsumi.  A sad story, but not b'cos of that.  It is far more likely that this story is similar to that one rather that what those people would make it out to be.  That's really all I can say here.  Beyond that, I would recommend contacting the panda directly, and not the others.

4

Except for the Pig / Re: Small Animal News

« on: February 09, 2015, 08:33:14 pm »

Yes, I would say high probability.

From Mikey, "All indications and intelligence points to yes."

A rescue squad, and a secondary reinforcement or support team, is being formed.  They will be ready in a few weeks.  Hopefully neither of them will actually need to be used.

I don't know about the rest, Samantha is in charge of the rescue squad, and I don't know who is in charge of the reinforcement team.  But, I'm sure it will come together.  In all likelihood, this will begin around March.

Around the same time, Mikey expects to carry out another operation to relocate the HVA to a more advantageous position.

"Neighborhood cat gang territory has been collapsing.  This next stage goes beyond an escort, it's ..."

---

The reason is that roughly a week or two ago, the critical computer was destroyed by rats.  I'm told that there were no data backups and that with budget constraints, the neighborhood cats can't afford to purchase another computer to replace the one that was lost.  So, they're kinda stuck right now. 

No group has actually claimed responsibility for the rat attack, but Mikey said it's likely it was a special attack team sent by one of their enemies.  "Without control over their territory, rats can simply scurry right up to their base.  All they need to do is find a way in, and then use a diversion to draw the cats away from the intended target.  Whatever animal sent these rats, they set the gang's propaganda back at least a few years, among other things." - from Mikey

---

I will say that it is simply an effort to take advantage of a weakening enemy.

"Everything is up for grabs.  In the next year, we'll see how the gang holds up against not one, but two prominent commanders." - from Mikey

As I've already outlined, the gang has no resources to control it's own territory.  They can only operate within their own base.  Their answer to their current troubles has been to pull back and stay within their fortifications for their own safety.

This has a number of negative consequences.

With no hunting grounds, they are forced to rely on their owners for food.

Without territory, their protection income has fallen to nothing. 

They can't leave their base, hence it is difficult to increase their numbers or recruit anyone of note.

From within their base, Cat P recognizes that the loyalty and competence of those who belong to the gang is very poor, and constantly tries to improve this.  But there is little he can do since the income the gang receives is very little at this point. 

---

1) Yes, this was a thing.  But they didn't know about it at the time.  Though they were fooled, their fate was already sealed by the finances.  I don't know whether they learned of it before the collapse, or not.  But I'm sure they know now.

No loss, it was run by people who were involved in a lot of dark things to begin with.  You got to know what side you are on, and most small animals are on the side of [that person].

For the record, no one has any idea of the Chinchilla's name.

2) This generally doesn't happen, I mean, they are generally just chased away.  Or, they might even be kept around, if they provide some advantage.  Some animals can be quite noisy[1], so having a past history like that can be useful.

[1] as in, they "love to run their mouth" or just "babble on" about this or that. 

---

I don't know what happened, and I honestly don't care what happened.

From Mikey, "That apple has already fallen off the tree [1]."

Which I agree with.  That said, try to keep a low profile / blend in, don't stick around to one place, keep moving.  As always, keep an eye out for cats.

Just b'cos neighborhood cat gang territory has receded, doesn't mean there won't be any cats.  There are still locals, and something might have them on the edge.  You never know with those guys. 

[1] Figurative:  Plans of that magnitude, once set in motion, one becomes powerless to be stop.  Similar in concept to the human expression "That ship has already sailed" or "The train has already left the station."

---

Have to learn how to take it with a grain of salt.  Outside of the gang, rumors of discord are frequently manufactured, but they rarely live up to reality.  The reverse is true within the gang, rumors are relative harmony are often put to rest by glimpses from the inside.  But that is well documented.

That is not to say that rivalries or discord exists between the forces that fall under these commanders.  But, it's mostly just the drones that feel that way, not the ones who can think for themselves.  Though, thinking for yourself is not exactly a prized ability in the followers.

---

It's best described as a logistical problem, they've made some efforts to get the system back up and running again, without any success.  And even if they did manage to do that, they'd still need to find a cat they could trust to do their bidding.  And trust is at an all-time low among the cats in the gang right now.

---

I don't know what the next step is.  I don't know how much sense this makes irl, but in the dream I had, they chose not one, but two of them.  So if I had to make a prediction, that would be it. 

---

This is simply the first of the spoils of the collapsing territory of the neighborhood cat gang.  As is said, "take the opportunity to pilfer a goat".  Plenty more is coming as the small animals advance into what was once the territory of the gang.

I don't know how much, b'cos I don't handle those types of things.  But even if it's just symbolic (I think it's more significant than that), it's a start and showing that they can hold territory that once belonged to the gang.

---

The answer is already out there.  I only know as much as everyone else knows.

From Mikey, "A little mouse told me that this[1] was the plan all along."

From Samantha, "They probably figured, if you're going to eat that many carrots, you better get something for it."

[1] "We'll find out who's casted as what after lunch."  Though somewhat ambiguous, that at least somewhat hints at the outcome. 

Think about it.  It's possible the small animals are wrong on this one, but I think there's more chance they're right than wrong.

---

Quite simply, their (nonexistent) territory doesn't cover that anymore.  They have no leverage to force those cats to do things their way.  Cats are selfish, they're going to do what they can get away with, and then some. 

The situation on the ground has changed, the days when the gang could enforce it's own protection agreements are long over.  Cat P loves to make threats, but at the end of the day, they are empty, impotent threats. 

---

This is desperation, you can bet he'll try again in a few days.  And I can already say that it won't be successful.

---

If we have to go back that far, the turning point was around 30(?) cat years ago with the first big revolt.

That was the first big hit, and after that, it's been a slow and steady decline since then. 

---

The reason I was laughing was b'cos, while I meant it at a joke, a lot of people took it quite seriously.
I mean, that kind of stuff can only hurt you if you believe it can. 

---

Soon, but there are certain "logistical concerns" that must be figured out before it can begin.
So, please wait for a short while.

---

Don't ignore the most obvious explanation:  "That there is none.  Simple as that."

If they had something to talk about, they would have already.  But the gang has been collapsing from the inside just as their territory collapses from the outside.

---

What is happening is combined maneuvering.  The grass and other vegetation in the areas to the west of the gang has become all but depleted, so two main groups of small animals, even some rebel cats, are circling the gang's base to the south till they reach the eastern front.  In the meantime, an allied group of small animals to the south is directly advancing toward the gang's base.  Once everyone is in place, all three groups will be well supplied, and within striking distance of the gang's base. 

---

I knew it.  Don't ask me how I knew.  I just kinda figured it out beforehand.  It was basic intuition.  I wasn't the only one.

Bunny R was injured hopping around some stairs.  He mis-timed a hop and about a third of his body landed on one stair, the other two thirds was out in the open.  He rolled and hit his head and kept rolling.  He suffered a severe concussion and had to withdraw from the bunny brigade.  He moved out of their hutch (#297) and back in with his owner so he could recover.

Over several [cat] years he recovered to most of his ability, though it's unlikely he'll ever be a frontline member of the brigade again.  Hutch #297 used to be little more than a periphery base, but with the maneuvering as of late, it is currently being used as a resupply base and will likely continue to be so for the near future. 

---

It's interesting, kinda, but doesn't really say much.  I guess it explains two recent happenings though.

I don't know what this means for all the (outside) players in the future.  But I do know, those within the bunny brigade will be protected.  For those outsiders, the brigade doesn't really concern itself with such things.

---

I would not assume it is about _that_.  In fact I would guess it is about something else altogether.  Everyone leaps to the conclusion that it was some kind of super dramatic thing involving that bunny (was it, bunny S?) from the old gang, but in truth, once you know, these things are often yawners that leave you with the same feeling you have after staying up late at night to finish a bad movie. 

---

Yes, and it is old news.  Almost 3 (cat) years ago, the cat was captured.  After extensive interrogation, he broke and revealed most of his accomplices.  But, there's a lot of those guys still on the loose, so this is an ongoing matter. 

---

Well, there's been a lot of moving around and shuffling lately.  Right now, the bunny brigade has two independent forward bases, and a skilled commander at each.  They have moved every few months, and additional moves are planned.  Among the bunny brigade's leaders, these are probably the most skilled.  There's other bunny brigade bases to the south of these, but those weren't really participating in this battle.

---

Sometimes when I read that stuff, I can't help but laugh.  It is so wrong.  People don't see the beauty of what he is doing, they are still thinking of him as a warrior rather than a commander.  A warrior thinks only of winning and losing, b'cos winning means survival, even fame and glory; losing means death, dishonor, or wasted effort.  A competent commander tries to position his force such that winning and losing do not matter.  Sure he, like a warrior, would always prefer to win, but with planning, strategy, support, economy, vision, propaganda, etc., he can still achieve the objective even if most/all the battles are lost.  That is how the best commanders think, they do not depend on winning battles especially when their forces are roughly symmetrical.

This is why the bunny brigade is doing what it is doing, people often fail to see the long-term of 3-5 years out.  They use a strategy of encroachment, of slowly inching forward and seizing territory that used to belong to the neighborhood cat gang, when the gang counterattacks or puts on a show of force, they dance, they evade, they maneuver, they pull back in one place while pushing forward in three other places.  They know the gang is desperate, fighting in the corner and with plenty of fresh troops, recruits and volunteers who used to live in territory that was once (and no longer is) neighborhood cat gang territory.  They know that the gang cannot sustain the fight long, their economy is very poor, they cannot extract enough funds to supply a force of that size from what limited territory remains, they have already spent their entire war chest on mercenaries and fortifications. 

---

Silence does not mean nothing is happening, I will say this since it is already public knowledge.  Things come in waves, and the first wave isn't even expected to succeed.  It's merely testing the boundaries, finding where the cats put up resistance and backing off before they can launch a counterattack.  The first wave is composed mostly of the expendable types, mercenaries, rabble, and others who are expected to run rather than to join in battle against the cats.  It's the second and third wave where the best, most capable animals are, these are the ones who expect to meet and fight against the cats in what is left of gang territory. 

---

Already described somewhat, but that is a large part of the issue.  He expects his unit to succeed a hundred percent in their attacks against the neighborhood cat gang, and expects to come out ahead when he sacks their base and seizes all their riches.  But the reality is that this statement is false on at least two counts, anyone in the bunny brigade can attest to this.  First, there really is no way the attack can succeed, they have nowhere near the numbers required, and they are already experiencing high levels of infighting with the numbers they have.  Second, the neighborhood cat gang has no significant capital at all, the cats in the gang are living off whatever subsistence their owners provide them with, and little else.  What funds they had were spent on fortifications and mercenaries, there is simply nothing of substance left.

5

Except for the Pig / Re: Small Animal News

« on: September 23, 2014, 12:24:32 am »

I don't know a whole lot about the indecent in question so I can't really comment. 

For the record all my bunnies and pigs were long gone by this time. 
From Bunny L -- "(rolls eyes) It's rather underwhelming".

Q&A

"How did the bunnies get through the lock?  I thought it was supposed to be secure?"

The lock was secure, but the door was not.  From what I can gather, infiltrators from the Black Bunny Squad chewed up the area around the lock of the door, separating the lock from the door. 

"What equipment was damaged?"

While the after-action report is still not finished, reports indicate that some precision equipment of value in excess of 20,000 carrots was likely damaged.

"What post-incident indications existed after the event?"

There wasn't anything that stood out.

I overheard some conversations to the extent of "If something even goes wrong with even one bunny, we'll hear about it."  But it seemed like just random talk at the time.  Bunny S did seem a bit stressed, but really there wasn't anything definitive post-incident.

"Is the Black Bunny Squad part of the Bunny Brigade?"

No, in fact, the Brigade makes special effort to ensure that it's members aren't affiliated with that group.  They don't want bunnies with questionable loyalties. 

"So why do bunnies tolerate the Black Bunny Squad?"

Despite it's dark nature, the Black Bunny Squad is accepted by most bunnies because of their past exploits, mainly in operations against the neighborhood cat gang.  While it is true that the Bunny Brigade and the Black Bunny Squad have cooperated in operations in the past, the two have always been separate entities and should not be confused.

"Is it true the large black pig (the first pig's 'friend') was a member of the Black Bunny Squad?"

No. 

"What happened once they realized what was going on?"

The bunnies, led by Bunny Y, launched their own attack to purge the infiltrators.

While the Black Bunny Squad is respected as a formidable fighting force, their fighters (numbering roughly 20) were drunk and also taken by surprise.  From Bunny S -- "Quite simply, overwhelmed.  None of them stood even half a chance."

There were no escapees.  It should be noted that 3 allied bunnies also perished in the battle.

"Does Cat R have anything to do with this?"

I have no reason to believe he does.  There was at least one Cat R sighting that was verified.  But nothing to indicate foul play at this time.  No reason to believe the neighborhood cat gang, or any of its minions, were involved.

---

Even if I did know, I wouldn't be talking about it here.
It's big, though.  There have probably been minor clues leaking out but nothing that is definitive.
She can't keep a secret, it always gets out in due time.

I do believe that a very intelligent animal could put enough pieces together to get almost all the way there.  But that would require a lot of persistence, patience, and it would still miss one last critical piece of information.  And I don't know if there are animals out there that are that intelligent and also have a reason to do that.  If there are, they certainly aren't in the neighborhood cat gang.

---

For the record, I do believe all the necessary clues are out there now, but again, there's probably no animal that is intelligent enough to put all the pieces together and make all the connections.  So I think the danger level is low regardless, not to mention the many traps, security, and bunnies that they'd have to get through even once...

---

I don't get it either.  Cowards, each and every one of them. 

The risks are ever-present for bunnies and other small animals, despite being weakened, the neighborhood cat gang and others like it still pose a threat.  It is a fact that bunnies and other small animals continue to perish every day at the hands of organized (or disorganized) gangs like this, but you don't see bunnies saying they will do things and then bugging out at the last minute (unless that itself is a ruse).  When I see people doing those types of things, then it is natural that they fail.  Just as humility is important, so is the audacity to act in the face of danger.  For danger is ever present.

---

A very questionable person to begin with.  But, for someone who is used to the periphery, it is also regrettable.
I don't know what the significance is, in fact I doubt there is any.  But it was starting to get big, in some cases as many as 1000.  And the establishment faction of the gang will sometimes tolerate dissent if it is just one person of a small group over a limited time.  But if that dissent grows beyond a small group, or lasts a long time, they will attack it with everything they have.  The internal struggle that follows is often quick and brutal, much more so than the external conflicts from the gang.

---

Yes, it is; but no, it's nothing special to me.
Just normal, normal action.  It's not unusual.

---

To me, it is pointless.  It is pointless to fight a wave when all you need to do is ride the wave.  What is mean is, there are good things in the world and there are bad things in the world.  Why do bad things exist?  Perhaps providence[1] allows it, or ignores it, or has no control, or perhaps they are not really bad, or perhaps they are artifacts of man, or something else.  I do not know, other than it is the world we live in.

But if one can see or recognize the changes that heaven exerts upon the world over time, and that this change is too what one desires, than one simply needs to ride the wave of heaven's influence rather than trying to run ahead of the wave or even fight the wave. 

That is why I have said from the beginning, it is not worth the effort.  It is not worth the effort to fight a battle that is already won (in time), one that can be won without expending effort. 

Some may say "but you are fighting it", and if it seems that way, it is not something I think about or plan.  It is just riding the wave.

[1] 天

---

What I mean is that, a hikikomori will have different types of nightmares, for instance a common person will have nightmares about public exposure or falling or carnal threats (animal, threatening person, etc.); a hikikomori will have nightmares about threats that could actually happen to them in their lifestyle, like being trapped and burning to death in a house fire, being denied internet, or being forced out and left homeless. 

---

I'm sorry but this is the type of message/idea that takes people who are meaningless, and programs or media that are the same, assumes they are meaningful, and tries to draw conclusions from that.  True power is wielded from the shadows, the truly powerful appear out of nowhere, do what they do, and then disappear back into the nothingness.  Anyone with true power understands this, for instance 司马懿 concealed himself for in the shadows for 10 years, only revealing his presence at the opportune moment.  And then he chose to stay out of the spotlight, kept his goals secret, and acted directly only when he had to in order to achieve his goals.  Extremely telling is the fact that the message gives very little actual evidence or anything of substance to support its assertions, it just says it outright and then leaves it at that. 

---

It is odd, slightly unnerving, but I will not make it a formal prediction yet.  My problem is, the exact meaning is often unclear.  Or more, the meaning is clear, but the timing is not.  Is it based on something that already happened, or based on something that is yet to happen?  In this case, it could be either, and there is no way at this time to tell which it is. 

---

This is intended.  Irl I can't stand it when people do that, and it's something I always do my best to avoid myself. 

And I don't deal with organizations, only people.  It just doesn't offer any benefit.

Already, ninety percent of the time, I can do what I want, and I can get what I want.

So why would it benefit me to be part of an organization?  The only way that makes sense is if they can provide me with a unit, or if they can provide intelligence or situational awareness. 

Without that, what is the point?

---

It matters, but nowhere near as much as some people believe it does.

That's about all I can say.  A factor, but not an overpowering or important one.

---

It has to do with a particular advanced 3-series that was passed around and sometimes misused for the last 20-or-so years.

To small animals, something like this isn't considered 'odd', 'unusual', or anything like that.  It's rather normal, or more, small animals have a different sense of what 'normal' is.

I know the quality of the video was pretty poor, but hopefully, this at least demonstrates why the small animals fell intent on defending the HVA and today have even attracted a few of the rebel cats to their side. 

---

I'm not aware that they have ever done that.
The force complement has always been this way, at least, as long as small animals have been keeping track --
roughly 1:10 regular vs. irregular. 
Around 4000 irregular small animals.
Around 400 regulars, mostly small animals, but also a few rebel cats, and one bear.
Around 150 non-categorized, primarily specialists, mostly small animals.
In terms of parity, this is nearly 40-50% current parity with the neighborhood cat gang (standing forces numbering around 900 cats).

---

I can't say anything b'cos, I just don't have enough information to draw any kind of conclusions.
Heaven decides success or failure, the organization exists only to catch those in case they fall down.
And for basic purposes like guard duty.   

Words like right, wrong, good, evil, etc. don't mean anything to small animals.  Only survival does, this is why a HVA is classified as such.  And that is why, they will fight to the death to protect a HVA.

---

I don't approve of it.
I may seem amoral, but in truth I just don't care what people say or what they believe.  Action is the only thing I care about.
So when they attack her b'cos she expressed a belief, that's when they lose me. 

---

Nothing of that sort.
Look at the fundamentals, despite the glamorization, it's a job where even those at the top work for 16 hours a day, and might end up making 240,000 carrots per annum, and survivability is (on average) [6 months, in human terms] [1].  I'm sure he just realized that, he was starting to peak despite working very hard, and thinking of where he'd be in a year or two. 

[1] The top tier might be able to survive longer, ie. 2 years, but this is rare.  You have better chances if you worked for the neighborhood cat gang.

---

Yes, I will be there, and prepared...

---

I don't think it was presented as an honest conspiracy theory, more just a joke since he'd have no reason to do that irl.

Conspiracy theories aren't popular with small animals at all.  I mean, for small animals, death is ever present, and life always hangs by a narrow thread. 

---

As for Cat R, yes he is back.  He appeared one day, and Cat P had no choice but to 'accept his help'.  He needs all the cats he can muster for defense alone. 

Now, he's trying to get his old team back together.  But, that cat is old, not in the shape he used to be in, and his (bad) reputation preceeds him.  We'll see how this goes over, b'cos all the gang can do now is defend what is left. 

6

Except for the Pig / Re: Small Animal News

« on: July 30, 2014, 11:03:42 pm »

This is still a recent happening, and [intelligence gathering] activities are ongoing.

According to Samantha, the [intelligence gathering] arm of the Bunny Brigade has been sifting through all the information and issued the following report.

"After an apparent snake attack, Bunny E was placed under the care of Long Shan, a Panda.  Her survival was questionable at first, but due to the expertise of Long Shan, she should be okay."

"A well-known snake was captured in the area and interrogated.  At this time it's not known if he was responsible for attacking her, or just contributed to her attack in some other way."

From Mikey -- "During Interrogation, his story didn't make too much sense.  That snake is hiding something, but it's hard to know what at this point."

I can't say this with any certainty, but it honestly wouldn't surprise me if this snake had some relationship with the neighborhood cat gang or it's ilk.  Everyone knows the gang is flailing right now and Cat P desperately needs some kind of 'win' try to stop the downfall or [negative momentum] that the gang has suffered from lately.

---

Because this is likely not the whole story, there is probably more here than just that. 

From Mikey -- "We don't know.  Not at this time."

---

While the vanguard is much weakened as far as  fighting force, recently they started to assert themselves in terms of political power.  Cat P's absence until recent times contributed to this, right now the vanguard has its own agenda and was even able to cajole Cat P into putting his ego aside and pawing out a letter outlining his commitments and micromanagement strategies to get the gang back on solid ground.  This started its own murmuring and growling throughout the gang, it's expected to bring back the loyalist - rebel infighting at a time when the gang is already falling apart in a number of ways.

From Mikey -- "Ironic that just three or four [cat] years ago their numbers were higher than ever.  Still this is a matter of quality over quantity.  It does not matter how many cats they can call their own when all the cats turn tail and run at the first sign of fighting.  It does not matter how many cats claim to be in the gang when they don't actually support the gang, they are just claiming membership at the time because it offered more advantages than not."

It seems like the vanguard could be setting up Cat P to take a fall, if they have not already made him into a scapegoat to to blame the problems the gang is having on.  What we are seeing, however, makes it obvious that the gang has become so large that it is collapsing from within. 

---

I can't say I know the answer to that.  Seriously it's a difficult question to answer.

The best way for me to say it is that sometimes things are done just because they should be done.  Not necessarily to reach some virtuous end, though that never hurts either.

How do you know what should be done?  Sometimes you just know.  Having the audacity to follow that, even when the end could be nothing to gain or end badly, is sometimes what people need to do.  Admirable.

---

This is the story with the 3-series.  After the initial run, another run known as the "3-series enhanced" was produced.  This was probably the most advanced set that I am aware of.  Used a modular type of design with lots of redundancy and distributed systems scattered all throughout the body.  The only major flaw with this design was the power generation; with power supplies distributed all over the body, disabling a few could cause systems to start failing.  If power was limited, systems were supposed to shut down in order of their importance, but this was not always the case.

---

Things are actually pretty quiet.  Maybe the cats are realizing it doesn't matter at this point -- saving their energy for the next kitty caucus (it always happens around September).  I except it will be another bloody one. 

---

To tell the truth, I am not even sure what is being talked about.

I think it may be just so that small animals are so accustomed to certain types of tactics that it is second nature to them.  So even if something like this were happening, they would be unaffected and quite possibly even unaware of it.

---

I think it's overkill.  Unnecessary actions should be avoided.  There isn't any objective there. 

Thoughts can be posted, but I won't respond to things I know nothing about. 

---

He tried, but ultimately failed.  Despite offering [the equivalent of] 80,000 carrots, he was unable to find a lackey who would assist him.  Being far too noticeable to do it himself, he gave up and saved his energy for the next opportunity.

About all he is doing these days is biding his time for the upcoming caucus.  If it means anything, this year the roster of the neighborhood cat gang was beyond 2000.  But only about 1200 were active during the summer, and when called up, only 700 appeared.  These numbers are far worse than prior years.  If the gang headquarters is attacked in earnest from the west or the immediate south, it is likely to fall.

However more than likely, their rivals just want territory. 

---

I don't get it, but okay.

I only know those guys, I don't know what goes into their decision-making. 

IMO they're about to find out the limits of that bunny's popularity.  I don't really know how far that goes.

---

It is a simple answer -- if you look at the bunny brigade, it is a lightfighter type unit.
They may not be the best equipped, because they sacrifice equipment for mobility.
They may not have vehicles, because vehicles can't go everywhere.
They may not be the most skilled or the best fighters, but you can be guaranteed they'll be the first on the scene anywhere where there's trouble.
They are at a disadvantage when fighting cats one-on-one, but they even the odds in numbers, tactics, morale -- fighting as a unit rather than just a single bunny. 

The cats of the neighborhood cat gang fear even single bunnies in part because of the psychological tactics -- if you ever see a single bunny, it is just a scout or a lookout.  More are sure to follow.

---

It is very confusing?  I don't think it's confusing at all.  Unless this concept is not understood.

A wise panda once said, "Once you recognize nature, there is no sense in denying it.  Accept it, embrace it, and use it for good."

---

I don't know the incident in particular but records show the bunny brigade was called and responded.

The pig is still alive and constantly goes on a soapbox about how mean and bad of a bunny she is, etc.  But everyone else just finds him odd. 

---

I honestly don't know all of the details, but this is the after action report.

The uprising peaked at a little over 3000 small animals, along with a smattering of other allied forces, mostly cats who wanted to fight the neighborhood cat gang.  There was no clear leader, in fact the one who was apparently in charge was largely ineffective; most of what happened was due to his second bunny in command as well as other supporters who had some pull among the small animals who were supporting the uprising.

There were reports that cats from the neighborhood cat gang were going to try to infiltrate and/or interdict, but there was no such action. 

It took about a day to raise up all the forces, and they then stood in formation and started the march on the neighborhood cat gang's main base.  However there were problems from the beginning.  The organization was poor at best, line commanders that were supposed to hold the formation together failed to do their job and it just became an angry mob.  The mob rushed in the general direction of the neighborhood cat gang's base, but due to a miscalculation or just the general chaos, they missed it by about a mile.  Some of the commanders tried to restore order, but their attempts only divided the rebels and even caused some of the rebels to turn on their commanders, who quickly perished.

Now the mob tried to correct course and charge in the direction of the enemy base, but most of the small animals were hungry for supplies which put a halt to the advance.  There were pigs, bunnies, hamsters, and the like running in every which direction, by then some started to abandon the rebellion and their numbers started to drop off significantly.  In the meantime, the neighborhood cat gang called off any active patrols and cats took up defensive positions all around their base.

Parts of the mob would reach the base, and when they regrouped one last time they had around 500 in total to attack with.  Seeing that things were hopeless, they called off the attack and the remaining small animals returned to base where most now had mixed feelings about the rebellion.

7

Except for the Pig / Re: Small Animal News

« on: May 19, 2014, 11:00:46 pm »

When Cat A took over the gang, most of Cat P's former minions switched sides just like that.

Perhaps it was Cat A's notoriety among small animals that caused other cats to follow her lead without a thought.  Or perhaps it was her allure, among the toms[1], she had a lot of support.  Cat T (T.l), who rarely showed interest in other cats, seemed to take a special liking to her, catering to her every whim.  Cat A quickly earned the title of 'queen', and while she flaunted this title, she rarely did much or otherwise exercised her power.

Surprisingly there were no purges under Cat A's reign, with many tacitly acknowledging that she was high on catnip for most of the time.  Ironically, the normally backstabbing, manipulative, and ruthless cat that had led the effort to purge many from the gang also had one of the most uneventful reigns, short as it was.

[1] male cats.

---

This is misreading, the term "escort" is only used in the purely operational sense.  It has none of that meaning when used by small animals.

And the operation was completed some months ago, without incident.  Probably largely due to a diversionary raid led by Samantha.

"We didn't know it at the time, but Cat A was running the gang at that time.  That would explain the very slow response of those cats in phase 3.  We expected heavy resistance in phase 5, but actually managed to slip through their security line on the northern border undetected.  And by the time those hapless cats realized we were long gone, it was too late. 

---

Not true, he has plenty of social skills, he just chooses not to use them most of the time.

---

With Cat A in power, the gang's command structure simply evaporated.  The winter time has historically been slow for the gang, as the winners of the election seek to consolidate their power and secure allies in secret for the big push during the spring and summer seasons.  However, with Cat A in charge, absolutely nothing happened as she and a large portion of the cats in the gang were either high on catnip or simply swooning over her and trying to attract her attention.

On the outside, these were dark times for the gang.  Garrisons and Patrols within their territory all but ceased, since they had neither supplies nor the will to conduct them.  All around, their borders were collapsing, at least in three of the four directions.  To the west, Cat P had made peace with their rivals when he was in charge, so this border remained stable. 

Unable to defend their territory, enclaves of small animals, stray dogs, and others started to appear within internal areas they still claimed as theirs, but were unable to control.  They could not send out patrols or parties to counter them.  What limited stores they had left were raided, leaving cats that had once grown fat off wild food forced to depend on their owners supply of second-rate, dry cat food. 

This state motivated the gang's rivals to take advantage of the situation and they started to develop their own plans for long-term expansion, primarily at the expense of the gang.  Most of these rivals were on good terms with each other, so they simply divided sections of the gangs territory among themselves.  Even today, these plans are in motion and the result is sporadic fighting. 

---

Yes, intelligence reported this yesterday.

The bunny brigade and the other individual security forces are aware.  But they honestly can't do much until something actually happens.  They're definitely watching for it, though.

Honestly, a lot of the forces are not even going to be there.  With only a skeleton crew, resources are pretty limited; they can't really afford to get involved in every potential or 'virtual' problem out there.

Most likely, it will be suppressed before it even starts.  Bunny brigade has shown ability to adapt and act quickly in the past, so I wouldn't worry too much about it. 

---

It was just discovered today.

After disposing of Cat A and taking back control of the gang, Cat P attempted several attacks on his enemies to the south.  However all of them were beaten back, and after repeated losses morale was too poor to carry out any more attacks.

---

It's actually a bit more complicated than that, you have to admit that [deleted] bunny has never been any good when it comes to diplomacy.  She tends to make any situation worse through her abrasive nature.

---

I don't think so.  While it is certainly in decline, the gang has also proved itself resilient over the years.  Many believed it was dead about one (cat) generation ago, but it managed to bounce back.   But everyone knows that things will never be the same for them, their glory days are long past.  It used to be their leader held real power, in that he could give an order and cats would follow.  Today, in the last 6 (cat) years, they have not won a single battle with any of their foes, and the infighting gets worse and worse.

From Samantha:  "Defectors from the gang have been expecting that the purging this year will be worse than any other year to date.  But nobody fears the gang's leadership anymore.  Being removed from something that is ineffective to begin with, what is there to fear about that?"

---

Cat A's reign would end only a couple of [cat] years after it began.  Cat A reportedly passed out due to overdosing on a "bad batch" of catnip.  There was a fight for her position, but most of the contenders appeared spaced out or otherwise incapacitated, probably due to the same thing.

Cat P showed up late in the battle and declared himself victorious at a time when most cats were either unable or unwilling to fight.  Many suspected him for poisoning the catnip in the first place, but there was no clear evidence how this took place, so most of the cats just kept their mouth shut.

Some general order was restored to the gang, patrols could function once again, and cats were no longer relegated to having to eat dry food or whatever little subsistence their their owners would provide them with.  Cat P had been restored to his position, but his actual power was very questionable, and the gang had lost a lot of territory to its rivals and had rebellions pop up within its own boundaries that had grown too large to suppress with any quick action. 

---

Yes this is true.  Before losing power, around 3-4 [cat] years ago, Cat P tried to negotiate with a number of groups to stabilize the gang on several fronts, but ultimately failed.  He did however manage to negotiate an understanding with a smaller gang to the west, but even that agreement is now called into question due to several factors.

The most significant of the two gangs, referred to hereafter as 'B' and 'C', refused to negotiate with Cat P directly due to his reputation among most cats.  They did offer to negotiate with some former members of the gang that Cat P had purged over a [cat] decade ago, but despite his begging, Cat P couldn't get those guys to help him.  So the alliance was pretty much off.

During the [cat] years when Cat A was in control, the gang lost vast swathes of territory, much of which could have probably been abated by reaching an understanding with their rivals.  Another thing that became obvious was that Cat P had earned such a negative reputation among other cats that few would even spend time to listen to what he had to say.  When Cat P took back control of the gang from Cat A, the position he got back was largely symbolic, he quickly found he holds little actual power and the gang itself functioned more like a chaotic mob rather than any kind of force.

---

All I can say at this point is we have no substantive idea of his status.
Heard a few things but haven't been able to confirm anything.

From Mikey:  "Everything we've heard isn't good, in his respect, that is.  A lot of people have been saying the cat went 'off the rails' or 'full tilt.'  But we're trying to get confirmation.  Every single source gives a different story.  These [rats] aren't the most reliable sources, and there's really not a lot of small animals who could get close or cats that were close enough and talking."

From Samantha:  "Rob said that he had gone into full paranoia mode, blaming a newly created gang of about 25(?) animals to the south for everything.  Apparently a master hacker was able to take down their network for several hours, Cat T.a made the claim, probably to cover his own incompetence but Cat P latched onto it.  Once the network was back alive, Cat P claimed that the supply routing had been infiltrated by the enemy and bogged down, in reality it is simply suspected that the supply vehicle was [stuck in traffic].  Another rat close to Cat P said he was also going [full paranoid delusional] but could not comment any farther on how or what his [delusions] were targeting."

From Albert:  "His next action could trigger a full revolt.  One thing we know is that Cat P is planning a substantial purge in the near future, which might be a poor [tactical] decision considering the state that the gang is in."

---

While the neighborhood cat gang is experiencing several uprisings within its own territory, probably the most significant at this time is one slightly to the south, within striking range of their main base.

From Mikey:  "Their ranks grow every day, currently almost a thousand small animals in all; even though it is little more than a disorganized mob, there is much gnashing of teeth and with every attack by the neighborhood cat gang, they have gained ground and grown in number.  Nearby cats within the area of this uprising seem to have a policy of ignoring the uprising and even attacking cats from the gang when they dare to venture nearby, so it's likely the two groups at least working in common interest."

From Samantha:  "It's said that several prominent bunnies are assisting them, but how much and in what capacity is anyone's guess."

---

In their defense, their supply lines were hideously long[1].

Even loyal troops who could have possibly made a difference could not get to where they needed to be in time.  Instead they had to rely on mercenaries and not exactly top dollar mercenaries at that. 

[1] Around 5 miles long, and the only vehicle they had to service them was a mini countryman.

---

The Vanguard is weak, they have poor combat ability and readiness.  Only one cat that is still capable of managing anything.

Cat P recognizes the sorry state of his organization, but does very little to fix anything (not that he could even if he tried).  The gang has serious problems with territorial integrity right now, morale is poor and finance is only barely in the black. 

Any extra money is spent on mercenaries, because right now the gang does not have any kind of fighting force worth mentioning.  All their rivals recognize their territory is up for grabs. 

---

This is still fresh, it just happened today (as far as I know).

Since several cat years ago, Cat P had negotiated an non-aggression pact with his western neighbor, a small but relatively tight gang of local cats.

At a time when the gang was losing territory, this helped the gang's forces since they did not have to defend their western border against their rival.

But in Cat P's absence, the gang as run by Cat A lost track of what was happening in the background.

While they sat idle, their territory collapsing on all other sides, their western rival also plotted and acted behind their back.

In one major operation, it served as an insertion point for known enemies of the gang[1].

When Cat P returned, the pact still stood, however he became incredibly suspicious due somewhat to recent events, but mostly due to his paranoia.

Still he could not afford to station combat units on the western border.  What limited forces he had were needed for internal security matters.   And the gang was already bankrolling as many mercenaries as it could afford.

And then today, the opening shot.  The gang to the west all but revealed that their cats were also actively supporting a gang to the south that was in active contention with the neighborhood cat gang over territory.

From Mikey - "It started as a proxy war.  Roughly one [cat] decade ago, a gang to the south allied themselves with the neighborhood cat gang.  But the tides quickly shifted, and things turned sour.  Most of the cats rebelled, rallying behind their own leader and fighting began in earnest roughly 4 [cat] years ago."

"Now it was probably happening all along, but it turns out that the tripartite coalition consists of the rebellion group to the south, another uprising of now more than a thousand small animals in the heart of neighborhood cat gang territory, and the group to the west that the neighborhood cat gang had made a non-aggression pact with.  All have been working in concert, and it's likely been that way for several years."

[1] The operation led by Bunny A, described a few posts prior.

8

Except for the Pig / Re: Small Animal News

« on: February 20, 2014, 10:52:08 pm »

"Cat P tries to rebuild his status in the gang"

Roughly 6 (cat) months ago, Cat P, whose position had been reduced to a mere figurehead, set about trying to restore some of his status within the neighborhood cat gang. 

Many (cat) decades of mismanagement, infighting, poor finance, paranoia and purges, poor morale, as well as outside forces have brought about recent decline of the gang.  With its territory collapsing all around, most cats that still belong fear that the gang will not last more than a few more (cat) decades.  Cat P realized these things, and felt it was obvious that the reason was his lack of power within the gang.  He knew that if only he could seize power, if only he could bring back the gang of the a few (cat) decades ago where his power was absolute and he ruled with an iron paw; if only, then the gang could be saved.  Otherwise, all would be lost, the gang that had survived well over a (cat) century would end with little more than a whisper.

With these aspirations, he set about gathering up what few cats would still listen to him.  He took the time to visit Cat T in the hospital, who had barely made it out from the "corgi incident" alive and was still recovering from his injuries.  Cat T explained to him that he realized the situation of the gang was most dire, and what they needed was to prove the gang was still a force not to be trifled with, whether in its territory or outside. 

---

This is indeed happening.  It is the usual case of as a gang loses territory, cats are displaced and rush to sign up for the gang just for simple necessities to those who are hopeful that gang can recapture the territory it lost.  But it isn't working, while the ranks have been filled on paper, supplies are very limited, morale is poor, fighters are cowardly, and defections are still at an all time high. 

---

Yes, phase 1.  Phase 2 will probably start soon. 

From Mikey:  "It's hard to take the neighborhood cat gang seriously, but best not to underestimate them either.  High value is high value, we've got to be ready for anything."

---

Cat P tried for a few hours, but he couldn't round up any followers that weren't immobilized from injuries or otherwise incapacitated.  He realized that whatever his plan was, he would have to do it alone.  But that was okay to him, after all, that would give him full rights to brag about it upon returning.

Thinking of what he could do, Cat P came up with this plan.  The cat gang was losing ground on all borders except to the west, where they had negotiated a non-aggression pact with one of their rivals.  He would head west, into their territory, and launch a daring surprise attack.  After several cats fell to him, he would then use the confusion to escape back into friendly territory.  Cat P felt his plan was perfect, that he had all the essentials of a good plan on his side -- surprise, treachery, superior combat ability, and good preparedness. 

---

Phase 3.  Yesterday, as a distraction, Bunny S led a small force of roughly 20 on a raid in neighborhood cat gang territory.  They entered from the north end and moved southwest, attacking targets of opportunity, and looting a major gang storehouse that had been left unattended.  This distraction caused the neighborhood cat gang to mobilize all its security forces and send them east to counter this threat, which allowed ferret M's forces to slip through hostile territory undetected and without any resistance. 

It is doubtful that the same tactic will work for Phase 5. 

From Mikey:  "We're pretty sure the cats know what is going on now.  After yesterday, they have been massing forces on the northern border for several (hours) now."

---

So the day came when Cat P would put his plan into action.  Cat P headed west into foreign territory, encountering no initial resistance.  He passed several cats, but other than an occasional glance in his direction or a short mew, it seemed obvious that he was being ignored.  The area that he had ventured into seemed like a happy place, in contrast to the neighborhood cat gang's territory where the protection racket run by the gang had depressed the areas and brought about disdain from local cats.  Cat P pressed onward, advancing toward one of the bases which he had learned of through the negotiations that brought about the non-aggression pact. 

---

From Mikey, "Lately their security has proven relatively impenetrable, multiple purges having their effect and infiltrators laying low or staying silent.  But in the past few (days) we have seen several lapses, and it appears like it may be accelerating.  Now it's hard to say whether this is due to simple hapless incompetence or some other factor or just random chance.  But whatever it is, wait and see and it will be figured out in time."

---

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=429170717217733

---

It wouldn't surprise me, but actually, this thing is common.
It's because most of the black bunny squad is made up of these types.  But small animals are content to look the other way, as long as they're in the squad, and as long as the squad is doing things that they like. 

---

I don't know much about that, so I asked around.

From Albert, "In the beginning, there was the [1-series].  It was big and clunky, but also pretty strong.  Still, they never quite figured out how to make it move right.  And those brains.  It was ahead of its time, the reliability just wasn't there.  The memory would fail, the systems would fail, [microcore] memory would go bad, and [communication / bus hardware] would start to malfunction.  They worked for around 25 years, then everything started to fail at once.  They'd go crazy, which is why there aren't really many [1-series] still on two feet today."

"I don't know much about the [2-series], but most small animals of the time felt it was designed for military use [1].  They were small, and not very strong, but boy could they move.  The brain was also a major step forward, technology of the time was far more reliable and many are still on two feet today.  The programming was purely [process execution].  They weren't very creative, or too capable when it came to independent operation."

From Mikey, "Apparently, the [2-series] didn't make for very good owners."

From Albert, "The [3-series], after the [cold war], the west lost all interest.  Five years later, [eastern countries] [2] began their own developments.  It was built on the same basic frame as the [2-series], with even more weight optimization.  But the real enhancements were in the brain."

[1] roughly 1975 to 1985, late cold war era.
[2] Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, etc.

---

This was promised by Cat W approximately 30 [cat] years ago.  Nothing was ever delivered.
Regardless, that information is now widely known by small animals and easily obtained.   Though it can be a bit dated at the time it is obtained.

If I recall correctly, Cat W perished during the elections around a [cat] decade ago. 

---

On that, it is insane.

From Samantha, "It's not that I like them or hate them.  They're used in what they're useful for.  But I certainly wouldn't send them into battle!  [People] are weird, that's insane."

---

Cat P entered the base, and suddenly began to feel alarmed.  Many people were mulling about, but none seemed to notice him.  He purred and rubbed up against some people's legs, but still drew no response.  So much that he wondered if he was dreaming, but of course he wasn't.

Then he smelled the cookies.  He hadn't even taken the time to look around, but suddenly Cat P was overwhelmed by the smell of chocolate chip cookies.  What his mother had told him when he was just a kitten, he hadn't thought to listen to her then, so he had missed the valuable advice to stay away from chocolate and other human foods that were toxic to cats.

The cookies themselves were on a ledge, he struggled to climb up but despite having lost some weight, he was still too heavy and not in good enough shape to make the leap or climb it.  Still he struggled, persistently, for around 5 minutes.  His claws would dig into the side of the wall, and then he would try to scramble up it, but every time he would get only a foot or two up before his legs grew tired and he would slide back down.

His determination had not paid off, and he thought about going into a corner to sulk.  But then suddenly he saw a cookie drop on the ground, as if some clumsy person had fumbled with it.  He scrambled over to where the cookie had fallen as fast as his legs would take him, grabbed it in his mouth, and then took off.

---

It only works if it's set up that way.  Not all the bunnies have it set up, so forget about it.

---

Cat P ran away, out of the building and into a short alley, holding the cookie in his mouth.  Once he was certain no one was around, he greedily wolfed down the cookie.  He didn't remember what happened after that.

Cat P woke up one day later, feeling sick.  He was on his side, and a stench emanated from a pile of vomit not too far from him.  He was in terrible pain, it felt like his stomach was being turned inside out or something terrible like that.  He slowly worked himself to his feet.  But being unable to walk in a straight line, he swerved to the right and fell back down.  He convulsed, twisting and rolling back onto his side.

Still conscious, but fading, Cat P could hear the scampering of paws.  Multiple paws, as if by a clutter of cats. He mewled in distress, believing it was a rescue squad sent by the neighborhood cat gang.  But he would not be so luck.

As he rolled over to face them, he did recognize the cats as members of the gang.  But they weren't about to help him.  The leader, a molly, ordered the other five to attack.  "But keep him alive, don't kill him, b'cos I'd like to do that!", she insisted.  The cats rushed forward toward the disabled Cat P, while the leader skillfully ran past him and then turned to come up behind him.  Cat P could barely put up a fight, trying in vain to at least slow down the attacks from the multiple cats. 

Cat P had never even considered his own death, but if he did, it would certainly never have occurred to him that it would happen in a deserted alley at the hands of traitors to the gang that he had led for so long. 

---

Cat P was pinned on the ground, trying his best to fight back.  But in his already sickened state, not to mention that he was severely outnumbered, he stood little chance.  He covered his eyes with his front paws, and struggled with the back ones, trying to kick and claw the cats.  But his ill-timed swipes had little effect, these cats were far more agile then him, they had no real problem skirting his poor attempts to hit them. 

It was perhaps just a simple stroke of luck that Cat P heard a growl in the background.  Out of the corner of his eye he saw it -- a large brown bear that must have been attracted by the ruckus.  In one quick motion, the bear leapt in to the melee, took a swipe at one of the cats, and then chomped down on him with his mighty jaws.  The cat tried to get away, but he was too slow -- only managing to get the front half of his body out of the bear's mouth before it slammed shut.  Blood flew everywhere.

The molly, acutely aware of what had just happened, disengaged from attacking Cat P and started mewling off commands.  "Stand and fight, brave ones!  He who fells the bear in combat shall replace Cat P as my new right paw!"  With that, Cat P recognized her voice.  It was the sinister, manipulative, widely hated and feared Cat A. 

After mewling that order, Cat A was the first to turn and flee.  Two other cats followed her, while one brave (but stupid) fellow leapt to attack the bear.  "I'll do anything for you, my love!", he shouted.  But the bear simply swiped him, knocking him out of the air and sending him flying.

The bear stood over Cat P, taking a short look at him.  Cat P glanced back, and the bear simply stared at him, as if looking deep into his eyes.  Then the bear turned away from him and started to pursue the fleeing cats.  Cat P didn't know what to think, but his ego was already riding high.

The bear was running after the remaining cats, Cat A and two others.  Cat A saw him gaining on them and thinking quickly, she tripped one of her followers and he stumbled.  The bear was on him just like that.  He didn't stand a chance.  "Your sacrifice will be remembered, brave one!", yelled Cat A.  With that, here and the one other remaining cat ran in separate directions. 

---

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10152407829705407&set=a.69728470406.96533.537970406&type=1

---

Yes, at least right now, that is the answer.
Two weeks ago, it was no.  Two months ago, it was no.  And six months ago, it was yes (if I remember correctly).  But a year ago, or maybe a little bit more than a year ago, it was no. 

---

Yes, it may be a while ago, but I can still remember that scene.

On one side of the cage there was a big ball of fur, consisting of Bunny K (the alpha), Bunny J, and Bunny A.  On the other side, a lone Bunny, I think it was Bunny E?  He seemed content to have the whole cage to himself. 

---

The brain of the 3-series was based around a new core with modular add-ons.  This series was designed with prolonged independent operation in mind, so the brains were flexible in their programming and could be made to adapt to a large number of activities.  In early models, modular add-ons came in the shape of small cartridges that were inserted into slots, similar to the home video game systems of the past decade.  Later models like the "3-series, enchanced" simply contained a large amount of free memory where programming could be downloaded and exchanged on the fly.

---

Having escaped from danger against all odds, Cat P knew he could not return to the gang.  For if Cat A had turned on him, it was likely that her followers (and more) would likely attack him on sight.  Cat P had no idea what to do next, but thought back to when he was a kitten and expressed his desire to lead a gang to his mom.  At the time, she had explained to him that there were two types of good leaders, along with many bad ones.  Those who valued the organization above all else, and those who valued their followers above all else.  Cat P never really took her advice to heart, like any other leader of the gang he had come to power in the vacuum that existed after Cat L's owner moved (taking the cat with him) through backstabbing and treachery. 

---

From Samantha:  "It's hard to know exactly what happened next.  After Cat P's 'right paw' betrayed him, she would run things for a period of 2-4 [cat] years, though it can be debated how in control she really was."

From Mikey:  "There weren't many sightings of Cat P reported during that time.  It is said that after his owner put him on a new diet and switched his cat food, he started to lose weight, and his health started to improve.  And the sightings of him, just the usual stuff."

From Albert:  "The next two to three [cat] years would be rather uneventful for the gang.  Not much really happened.. at least, not that could be told from observing the cats from a distance."

9

General Forum / Re: Happy New Year(2014)!

« on: January 24, 2014, 07:13:07 pm »

wrong

its from an old RPG in the 80s era called Paranoia...
 http://ge.tt/4MYEbFy/v/0R

But so is that song / PV, is the point.
It's not the 80's anymore, here is the modern version.
http://www.amazon.com/Paranoia-RPG-Rulebook-Allen-Varney/dp/1904854265/

Stay alert.
Trust no one.
Keep your LASER handy.

If you don't believe me, look at this post:
http://forum.live-evil.org/index.php/topic,1280.msg14452.html#msg14452
It's also a paranoia reference, though I doubt anyone got it at the time.

Also don't forget this thread:
http://forum.live-evil.org/index.php/topic,216.0.html
which contains a lot of rather obscure Paranoia and FCCC-P (First Church of Christ Computer-Programmer) references.
ie. http://www.esglabs.com/paranoia/graphics/parnews4.pdf

10

General Forum / Re: Happy New Year(2014)!

« on: January 22, 2014, 12:02:34 am »

There's no pills for that, you know it and I know it.

11

General Forum / Re: Happy New Year(2014)!

« on: January 21, 2014, 09:03:39 pm »

SIndo, you're nuts

And your point is?
BTW here is the 'making of' video or something like that.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sJ8Wx7deMxE

You tell me who is more nuts, me or the guy who entered the lol tournament put on by her where the first and only prize was being able to ask her out on a date at a time and place of his (or her!) choosing, played lol all day and despite losing to Wendy, still came out ahead in overall points; then pays for round trip plane ticket to fly her across the US and back, but when she shows up takes her out to "Mr Noodles",  a cheap ramen joint in the seedy part of koreatown for the date!  And then three days later I get a panicked phone call from him asking if I can bring my laptop b'cos she was in such a rush that she forgot hers, and hasn't been able to play lol in days, her hands are shaking and her face is flushed out and she's starting to go into convulsions; I ask him why he can't just let her use his and he goes on about being afraid she'd fine his porn collection and dump him b'cos of it; by the time I'm able to get to the starbucks they were at, she was yelling "need my reague... can't live... my reague!" in that crazy voice and drawing the attention of all the patrons.  I set up the laptop so she can get her fix, but everything was getting lagged, she whines about how they are ddos-ing her despite our explanations that it's just the lousy shared starbucks wi-fi, so off to the cyber-cafe so she can get her fix for a few hours, after that she is normal again, and all the time he's got a smile on his face like she is the best thing since sliced bread and insists that soon she will be his "waifu".

That's nuts.   Everything is relative.

12

Except for the Pig / Re: Small Animal News

« on: January 21, 2014, 01:54:18 am »

Cat P and the vanguard - Recently, Cat P has been reduced to a mere figurehead.  The cats that used to make up the vanguard have defected, perished, or pulled out; right now there is no vanguard or leadership and different cats and factions are vying to fill that vacuum in secret.

Other prominent cats - Cat T.l (unseen), Cat T.r (keeping a low profile), Cat A.m (defected), Cat A.k (active), Cat F (active), ...

Territory - While their base is holding up, their hold on territory adjacent to their base is being lost.
They are losing territory in nearly all directions, only the western boundary is holding steady due to a diplomatic pact between them and their western rivals.  Especially in the south, where they have lost about half the territory and only managed to hold onto what territory remains at a high cost.

Funds - Operations are a constant drain, defenders in the south are nearly cut off and the supply route is perilous.  Many supplies need to be sent since only a portion are making it through.  Still, the gang is committed to defending the south, at any and all costs.  Standard operations are often augmented with or filled with mercenaries, which is a constant drain on funds and finances.  Outgoing expenditures exceed incoming revenue by 25% to 50%.

Security - Operational security is good, mostly due to extensive purges.

Personel - At most levels, morale is poor.  Field defections are at an all-time high, and the base isn't faring much better.  Those who manage to survive the constant purges and deadly infighting at the base are often left with second-rate supplies and kickbacks, few supplies last long before being looted or sent out to the front.

Combat Parity - The gang's fighters have lost parity on nearly all fronts.  Even their weakest rival to the north can outfight them, their only advantage is propaganda.  The eastern and southern fronts are in the worst shape.  They have absolutely no ability to fight the imperial forces to the east, while their southern boundary is undersupplied and unable to stand their own against rebels made primarily of ex-gang members.

Personal assessment - Honestly, I would say the gang is in tough times, and things will get tougher.  While they have made some inroads at controlling their base from the utter chaos of around 9 [cat] years ago, their liabilities are far outstripping their revenue and home cats are not only at an all-time low, but so is morale (esp. among the rank-and-file).  The coming leadership struggle is likely to hurt the gang more, unless a strong contender emerges early in the game.  The gang has nowhere to go, their territory is collapsing on 3 of 4 sides and they have lost parity with their rivals all around.

---

Basically the reason she was showing her face and eating a sandwich on the stream was b'cos of what happened yesterday, she was so far behind (7 to 19 or something like that) that she started saying things like that if they won, she would never try to take his photo again but he was just kinda laughing it all off, then she joked that she'd each a sandwich on the stream if they won, and shortly after, the enemy miraculously crumbled.  Her team pushed all the way to the enemy's base and she destroyed it with barely any health to spare.  Afterwards there was a lot of speculation that the enemy team was watching her stream and heard her offer to eat a sandwich so they intentionally threw the game and her team win. 

---

I don't know when she will do it, so I can't answer that.  Yes it will happen, I presume, she always keeps her promises and doesn't try to cheat her way out of things she said she'd do. 

---

I found out about this back around four (cat) years ago.  Cat A.m, who is normally pretty noisy to begin with, was quite vocal about her dislike of many of the cats in the gang esp. cat A.k.  She still had some faith in Cat P, though, at the time, as well as Cat T.l and some of the other cats in the gang.

However, Cat T.l was sacked about one to two (cat) years afterward, and cat A.k probably saw to it that she was sacked shortly after, presumably Cat P, who had been protecting her, either couldn't protect her anymore or backstabbed her. 

Shortly after that, Cat A.m worked to unite a lot of the cats who had defected from the neighborhood cat gang in the southern territories.  After recruiting about half of them, she controls a sizable force of rebels who are combat capable and understand the tactics of the neighborhood cat gang.  But she has been loathe to engage them directly, at least for the time being. 

---

Truth be told, we just don't know the inner workings of the gang politics right now.  The bunnies, pigs, and other small animals in charge of small animal security (Samantha, Mikey, Mr. Sparkles, etc.) are taking more of a containment posture, since the gang seems to be losing ground on 3 of 4 fronts.  All indications are that the gang is collapsing both on the outside and the inside.  The infiltrators left in the organization have refocused on internal sabotage instead of intelligence gathering, hence most of the reports I read are directly from the front. 

---

This is a tricky subject, but the best way to explain it is like this.

Being able to do things together is the most important part, and being placed on a pedestal or treated like a goddess does not make for a good long-term relationship.  Some girls might go for that sort of thing, but not her; it rarely lasts because once the gifts and the worshiping and such get old, she's left with a guy she can't do anything fun with or enjoy.  He's tense and reserved around her because he's so afraid of slipping up; he can't 'let loose' or be the type of person he is when he's not around her.  And that's the type of person she wants to go out with, the type of person he normally is, not the 'him while being around her' type of person.

I don't understand the other part really, it's too hard for me to undestand that, knowing too little. 

---

Situation as proceeding normal, please be patient. 
A period of a few weeks should be expected, beginning a few weeks from now. 
Silence should not be equated with inaction. 
Mikey is overseeing this operation, if you have any concerns, you can discuss them with him. 

Phases:
1) +1 week, +2 week:  operational supplies incoming, to be collected by bunny A, pig C, and others.
2) +2 week, +3 week:  ferret M unit - Ingress neighborhood cat gang territory from southern border.  Proceed north through hostile territory to northwest border.  Egress neighborhood cat gang territory and continue northwest to rendezvous point.
3) ~3 week:  Bunny A, pig C, and others, rendezvous with and join ferret M unit. 
4) ~3 week:  Ferret M unit - rendezvous with HVA.
5) ~3 week:  Ferret M unit - escort HVA south, back into neighborhood cat gang territory.  Proceed south through hostile territory, taking the shortest or most prudent route through.
6) ~3 week:  Ferret M unit - Upon leaving neighborhood cat gang territory, continue to the target area (southwest).
7) ~4 week:  Operation complete.  Bunny A, Pig C stay with HVA.  Ferret M unit, return to base.

---

lol
"Guys I'm new..."
"Is she drunk or is this normal?"
"This is normal."

---

It is a myth.  Just use a little common sense.  You don't really get a bunny for finishing the season in that rank.  It was an off-hand joke that some idiots believed and spread it too far.

From Mikey:  "Because he finished in rank three, and shortly thereafter was seen around carrying a bunny in his arms.  When asked how he got a bunny, he jokingly said it was their reward for anyone who finished season 3 at his rank.  It became a big thread b'cos people kept posting to it, things like "He's so lucky!  I finished D3 and all I got was an ashe skin.  Boohoo."  To date, there's a small number of people who believe that, a small number but they believe it absolutely adamantly. 

ie. from reddit 13-feb-2014 (roughly 1 day before valentines day)
"Do D1 players get an Asian girlfriend as part of the end of season rewards?"
"Gotta get out of gold, all I got was an Elise skin."
"I was plat 3 in s3, and i got an asian girlfriend in december. Step it up"
"Whoa whoa, I was plat 3 as well. Where do I claim that reward?"
"Are you in highschool ?"
"Nope, college."
"Then I dunno. Mine was in an italien class, and added me on facebook. Maybe you can find"

---

From Mikey, "Yes it is true, though probably a bit exaggerated.  But that bunny is naturally lucky.  She's survived a lot of things that would kill a normal bunny."

---

It's still on phase 1, has not yet progressed past phase one.
Soon.

13

General Forum / Re: Happy New Year(2014)!

« on: January 20, 2014, 10:39:18 pm »

happiness is mandatory...

YOU ARE IN ERROR. NO ONE IS SCREAMING.(no one that matters) THANK YOU FOR YOUR COOPERATION. The Computer is happy. The Computer is crazy. The Computer will help you become happy. This will drive you crazy. Being a citizen of Live-eviL is fun.

based on:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OyRzKktcJIA
original song/PV:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WWIjvPuY2jo
( Utata-P official channel:  http://www.youtube.com/user/tkomine )

14

General Forum / Re: Happy New Year(2014)!

« on: January 06, 2014, 08:20:42 pm »

This year the new year will start on Feb 1 (by the western calendar), it will be the year of the horse.

15

Except for the Pig / Re: Small Animal News

« on: December 03, 2013, 08:29:14 pm »

Cat P was about three fourths of the way to being pulled all the way up the wall when the cats heard some barking behind them.  Most of the cats panicked, releasing the rope and scattering, leaving only Cat T holding the rope.  The weight of Cat P was too much for him, and he strained for a few seconds before releasing the rope, sending Cat P into freefall.  Cat P tried to grab the side of the building wall with his claws, but it did not slow him enough, and only served to turn him so that he was falling back first.  Rather than landing on his legs, he hit the ground with a thud.

In the meantime, Cat T, Cat F, and the others came face to face with a Corgi.  The brown, black, and white dog was blocking the single exit, it was either back over the wall or stand and fight.  Cat T tried to command the group to attack, but the cats were simply in disarray.  Seeing this, the Corgi charged forward, attacking and sinking its teeth into the back legs of one of the fleeing and confused cats.

Rather than retreating back of the wall, Cat T tried to take advantage of the chaos and charged the exit.  However the Corgi was quick to correct and released the cat he had bitten, lurching toward Cat T.  The cat tried to dodge, but the Corgi simply matched it and then bit him right on the nose.

Cat F, meanwhile, stood back and watched the combat, as if waiting for the opportune moment to proceed.  She knew hiding would be no use, even if she concealed herself, she could hide from a dog's sense of smell.  Suddenly and seemingly out of the blue, she charged the Corgi who turned to face her, dragging cat T along by the nose.  Her fate seemed certain, but with a well-timed acrobatic jump she leapt over the Corgi and landed well behind him.  The Corgi tried to turn around but she had already raced off into the dark shadows of a twisting stairwell.

Cat T and Cat P have not been seen since.  No one knows the fate of Cat T.  Cat P is presumed to have gone into hiding.  Cat F escaped the Corgi, and was seen the next day at the gang's base with a large stash of Catnip that she had presumably lifted from the rival's storehouse.  None of the other minions that Cat P ad brought along have been seen since, they are presumed to have perished or abandoned the gang after the incident.

---

They are real, I have seen them in person, and yes they are pretty huge.  Roughly twice the size, three to four times the weight of an ordinary pig.  No one is quite sure where they came from, but they seem to be a local phenomenon, the most likely theory is that they are the result of selective breeding and mixing with larger pigs raised in Peru.  Finally, there are many reports of both bad temperament and health problems among these pigs, so they are not really recommended as pets.  There is some speculation that these pigs are mutants caused by radiation from the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Disaster, link:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fukushima_Daiichi_nuclear_disaster
but there is nothing to substantiate other than the general timing of the incident and their appearance to back up these rumors. 

---

Yes.  Already the bits of fur are flying, but I don't think it really matters.
If you don't like it, don't go.  It's that simple.  Those bunnies run their gang the way they want to, in fact it is known de-facto that they start 'bad' rumors about their gang in order to lessen the number of people who want to be in the gang and add to their reputation of being feared rather than liked.  But any bunny with half a brain knows what the black bunny squad really stands for, so it's still a pretty popular (but tightly controlled) troupe among all the bunnies out there.

Let's not forget what happened the last time the cats ended up in the same area as the black bunny squad, see post #147 (page 10).  And now it is pretty much on the record that the black bunny squad is also bringing in some mercenary weasels, ferrets to be precise, which is putting the smell of fear into those cats from the neighborhood cat gang. 

From Mikey:  "They're numbers aren't huge, maybe 100 bunnies tops.  But they've shown that they can engage in effective sabotage in the past, as well as fight as a unit even in pitched battles.  Plus, large, vicious animals seem to randomly show up on their side when it comes time to do battle, the cats know this and have to take them seriously because of it."

"Mercenary ferrets... they rarely are as good as dedicated ones, but ferrets are natural hunters and enjoy fighting, that is, as long as they're on the winning side." 

---

I find it funny that people are still asking this; at least for some time now, it's not exactly a well-kept secret or anything like that.

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=531604936946492

Camille's owner on (photo) left, Samantha's owner on the right.

---

What happened was that Cat P's owner decided to put him on a special diet.  So he's still lost at least some weight, but he's still quite fat.  He's at least able to move around a little bit more, but seeing as how he's pretty much lost most of his influence in the gang, he's honestly a non-factor now. 

This leaves the neighborhood cat gang in a state of conflict within itself, like the common small animal quote "The world of cats is dog eat dog."

---

All right this is a complicated issue.

She is talking about Cat A, who is only related to Cat P.  You know I've honestly likely only probably seen that cat once or twice, and I wouldn't recognize him.

I wouldn't doubt it's true, I mean, these are cats we're talking about.  They're predators by their very nature. 

I don't know who bunny C is, I honestly don't recognize that name.

From Mikey - "Nonexistant, simply nonexistant."

---

For the record, the mercenary ferrets pretty much did the job.  Pretty much.  There were some lapses in security, but it was honestly pretty minor things.

There were several Cat P sightings, he was prowling around the periphery but honestly keeping as low as a profile as he could.  There were honestly maybe 4-5 cats from the neighborhood cat gang in total that showed up; they didn't stand a chance with those numbers and they probably knew at least that.

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https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10152225763760407